XDCC (Extensible Dictionary Configuration Chain)
If you are a dictionary publisher - or using other publishers' dictionary data - there are huge obstacles in converting raw dictionary data into useful electronic content for any application, whether online, on mobile devices or on CD-ROMs/DVDs
The problem is that dictionary data has been developed for 'flat' print uses and does not respond well to the flexible searching behaviour of real users in the online, app or CD-ROM world
This is where IDM's XDCC software excels - it can take flat dictionary data and create full-featured digital products that give excellent searchability and allow developers and customers the maximum flexibility in customising the user interface.
What does XDCC do?
XDCC takes standard XML dictionary output (and other non-dictionary content) and converts it into content that can be meaningfully and quickly searched by a dictionary application, so that the right content is delivered to respond to any search. It has the following elements:
- A repository of the resources which are involved in the creation of the application (dictionary data, graphical elements, other media assets such as sounds or Flash components for exercises or grammar, help, etc)
- An Advanced Result List (ARL) which is a process suitable for extracting document fragments from the XML delivered and for associating them with the document identifier and an optional context. An HTML snippet is generated for display. The HTML snippet is used in the search result lists to actually display the item
- A templating system to create the HTML pages when the content is rendered
- An indexing engine that creates Sk indexes. XDCC builds the binary files (compiling documents and indexes) whether for online or CD-ROM/DVD uses
How is XDCC used?
XDCC is used in two main ways - either to produce content for standalone CD-ROM/DVD dictionaries or to produce content for online delivery (especially as part of IDM's
PitchLeads online dictionary development toolkit)
1. XDCC for publishing dictionaries on CD-ROM/DVD
IDM's XDCC lets you deliver full-featured CD-ROM/DVD dictionary products to your customers. They all include a very powerful search engine, flexible browsing features and multimedia display - within up-to-date and personalized interface design. The products can be fully customized for the desired 'look and feel', branding, dictionary content and language(s) to suit your market. XDCC makes it easy for you to standardize the production of these products and helps you to minimize time to market.
XDCC delivers these key benefits and features when it is used for CD-ROM/DVD products:
- A user-friendly, intuitive and state-of-the-art interface, simple and advanced search features and an extremely fast and customizable search via a built-in scripting language that integrates with morphology data
- an application integration feature that automatically looks up in the dictionary from other applications
- The users can customize the presentation by choosing the styles, font size and colours, integrate sounds, images, animations or video, as well
- It is possible to hyperlink all words so that all words displayed in the content window can, by default, be looked up in the dictionary
- A 'did you mean?..' feature to help after a misspelt user query is entered
- A 'record and play' feature so that users can check their pronunciation
- A user history list, worldlist and user note feature to improve a user's language-learning experience
XDCC also fully supports "customizable branding" so that the distributor or licensee for the CD-ROM can put their own logo, icon or product name within the interface. Whatever language is covered, XDCC can present meta dictionary contents in the language(s) of the consumer and can support any kind of dictionary (small, large, monolingual, bilingual or semi-bilingual). Finally, we make it easy for you to add exercises and game modules (produced in Flash) and can ensure that the dictionary is protected with encryption by default.
2. XDCC for producing online dictionaries
The same conversion processes needed for CD-ROM/DVD dictionaries are needed when you are producing dictionary content to deliver to websites. The input XML data from your dictionaries (or from dictionaries that you have licensed) needs to be converted into an easily searchable form, so as to serve online queries quickly and intelligently.
XDCC works as an integral component of the IDM
PitchLeads toolkit for producing online dictionaries. It indexes all the dictionary content so that all queries can be met as quickly and as accurately as possible. It also works on another level for online uses, because it can be used to search and convert multiple dictionaries into the same application. This means that it can provide searchable and indexed content from several different types of dictionaries (even different languages together) even though the user is searching through a single interface. For online dictionaries, XDCC provides these key benefits:
- all content is converted to make searching as fast and as accurate as possible, to give the user the best search experience possible
- because all the processes of XDCC are semi-automated, it is possible to re-index and update the dictionary content quickly whenever new words are added
- XDCC makes full use of any metadata that you can provide so that multiple resources (dictionary, thesaurus, picture dictionary for example) can be delivered quickly and efficiently
